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University of Virginia Upgrades from Primo Central to EBSCO Discovery Service API via Blacklight

posted by LMcEvoy
on Mon, 08/18/2014 - 11:06

University of Virginia Upgrades from Primo Central to EBSCO Discovery Service™ API via Blacklight
~ University Tested Both Systems with the Same Front End (Blacklight) and Determined that the EDS API Provides Better Search Retrieval ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — August 18, 2014 — University of Virginia, one of the top research academic institutions in the country, has migrated from Primo Central to the EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) API for better search retrieval as well as customer support. By implementing the EDS API with the libraries’ Blacklight-driven interface, University of Virginia is able to use its own website applications for a discovery user interface and still provide users with all the functionality offered in EBSCO Discovery Service.

Esther Onega, Head of the Brown Science and Engineering Library at University of Virginia says they were dissatisfied with the search results and support of Primo Central and sought a new discovery tool. “We felt the results were not as relevant as they should have been. I couldn’t really stand behind those article results (in Primo). Having current, scholarly items listed first is very important, and EDS does a good job with that.”

The EDS API can help develop the ideal user experience while also enabling creative control for its library. The EDS API is a unique solution that complements and enhances the search experience for libraries with custom discovery solutions by providing access to premium content available through EBSCO Discovery Service, as well as a robust set of features and functionality. With the EDS API, libraries can integrate critical components of EDS into their library solution including rich metadata, superior relevancy ranking, full-text linking, persistent links, custom links, facets, limiters and expanders, and book jacket images.

The flexibility and functionality of the EDS API played a key role in the university’s decision. Onega commented that the facets through the EDS API were particularly impressive. “One of the [other] discovery services broke down subject phrases into words and listed them separately in the facets which made for a confusing display,” she explained. “The faceting was especially helpful in EDS.”

Onega also gives credit to EBSCO’s customer support. “Overall, everybody was really impressed with the quick response from EBSCO, the willingness to address [our] questions and concerns,” she said. “All things considered, EBSCO came out on top. Everybody was satisfied with EBSCO as our new discovery vendor.”

EBSCO Discovery Service creates a unified, customized index of an institution’s information resources, and an easy, yet powerful means of accessing all of that content from a single search box-searching made even more powerful because of the quality of metadata and depth and breadth of coverage.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading discovery service provider for libraries worldwide with more than 6,000 discovery customers in over 100 countries. EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) provides each institution with a comprehensive, single search box for its entire collection, offering unparalleled relevance ranking quality and extensive customization. EBSCO is also the preeminent provider of online research content for libraries, including hundreds of research databases, historical archives, point-of-care medical reference, and corporate learning tools serving millions of end users at tens of thousands of institutions. EBSCO is the leading provider of electronic journals & books for libraries, with subscription management for more than 360,000 serials, including more than 57,000 e-journals, as well as online access to more than 600,000 e-books. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., a family owned company since 1944.